Post



March 24, E. v CAMP POST Filed Jan. 14, 1955 J. 4m La wf w17 l www w 7 Patented Mal'. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POST Eugene V. Camp, Atlanta, Ga.

Application January 14, 1933, Serial No. 651,797

3 Claims. (Cl. 18a-23) The invention relates to a novel form of post for fences, road guards and the like, formed of sheet metal, preferably substantially V-shape in horizontal cross section having its open face closed in part by a reinforcing plate securely attached to the body of the post. preferably at least one end of said reinforcing plate being bent to form a transverse diaphragm abutting the inner walls of the post and serving to resist deformation of the post from its normal shape.

'I'he invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 isa rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the reinforcing plate.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form.

Referring to the drawing, i indicates the body of the post, which is fabricated of sheet metal. preferably sheet steel, to a given cross sectional contour, which latter ispreferably substantially triangular. One face of the body portion comprises spaced longitudinal inwardly extending flanges 2, 2, which dene a longitudinal opening extending throughout the length of the face.

In order to supply the necessary strength and rigidity to the post, especially when the latter is applied as a supporting member of a road guard,

a reinforcing plate 5 is secured to the anges 2 by screws 6 or by spot welds or other suitable means, said reinforcing plate occupying the intermediate section of the post, so that it will extend from the area in which the impact members of the road guard are secured to some distance within the earth or soil in which the post is mounted, so that the structure of the post will be materially strengthened to resist deformation and/or overturning, due to the impact of vehicles against the road guards.

In order to further stiifen the post. at least one end of the reinforcing plate 5 is bent at right angles to form a diaphragm or septum 1, which spans the interior of the post and abuts the inner walls thereof. When the post is of triangular cross section, the corners of the diaphragm l are bent on lines inclined to the longitudinal axis of the plate to form ears B, 8, which are parallel to and abut the inner walls of the post. As shown in the drawing, both ends of the reinforcing plate are fashioned to form the reinforcing diaphragms or septums 1, 1, each having the angularly disposed ears 8, 8. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper portion of the plate 5 has indicated thereon the lines on which the diaphragm or septum 1 is bent at right angles to the plane of the plate and also the lines on which the ears 8, .8 are bent at right angles to the diaphragm 1 and into parallelism with the interior walls of the body of the post. By this par- 6 ticular construction, it is possible to fabricate the post from relative light sheet metal, with sulcient inherent strength to resist distortion or overturning when used as a supporting element for the impact member or members of a 10 road guard, when the latter is subjected to the impact of a vehicle leaving the road. Under ordinary conditions of use. the post is made of sumcient length to permit it to be set in the ground at the edge of the roadway without any 15 special foundation, or. if desired, it may be set in a concrete base buried in the ground, under which circumstances the post may be materially shortened without sacriclng its stability.

In order to protect the post against corrosion, 20 it may be provided with a suitable coating of protective metal, such as zinc, or a resistant paint, and may also, if desired, be provided with a cap or cover 3 secured to its top by screws 4.

Instead of providing the sides of the post with 25 flanges 2, corresponding flanges may be formed on the lateral edges of the reinforcing plate 5, which flanges will engage and be secured to walls of the post by bolts, spot welds or other suitable means. Such construction is shown in Fig. 6, in 30 which the body I' of the post is generally V- shaped in horizontal cross section andl the reinforcing plate 5 is provided with flanges 5', 5' on its lateral edges, which engage and are secured to the walls of the body i' by bolts. and one or J" both ends of the plate 6' being fashioned to form the diaphragm or septum 1 and ears 8, serving the same purpose as like elements in the form of the invention first described.

What I claim is:

l. A hollowsheet metal post of substantially triangular cross section having spaced longitudinal flanges on one face deilning a longitudinal opening. and a reinforcing plate secured to said 45 flanges, both ends of said plate being bent to form diaphragms abutting the interior walls of the posts, the corners of said diaphragms being bent to form ears parallel with and abutting the adjacent walls of the post. 50

2. A hollow sheet metal post having one open face, and a reinforcing plate partially closing said open face, one end of said plate being bent to form a diaphragm abutting the interior walls of the post and said diaphragm being bent to form 55 flanges parallel with the adjacent walls of the post for attachment thereto.

3. A. sheet metal post of angular c ross section involving a plurality of. integrally connected walls forming at least two sides of the post, a separate longitudinally extending plate rigidly secured to said walls forming another side of the post, one

end of said plate being integrally provided with an inwardly extending onset portion constituting a transversely extending diaphragm rigidly secured to portions of said walls spaced i'rom the plate.

EUGENE V. CAMP. 

